1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the general field of wheelchair accessories and, in particular, to a support frame adapted for mounting on the hanger brackets of a wheelchair for holding utility items of interest to a user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Wheelchair users are often seriously disabled or ill and in need of continuous intravenous administration of medication or nourishment. Typically, these are dispensed by gravity from containers that are fastened to vertical support arms projecting upward from the back of the wheelchair, so as to enable dispensation while the wheelchair is in use. Similarly, patients who suffer from incontinence as a result of paralysis, illness or surgery, such as when a drainage tube is inserted into the bladder, require the continuous use of a urine reservoir, normally referred to as a Foley or catheter bag, adapted to receive fluid bodily discharges while the patient is using the wheelchair. Unfortunately, no provision is made in the design and construction of standard wheelchairs for holding such containers in a suitable position for the continued efficient operation of the wheelchair. Therefore, people confined to a wheelchair and in need of such a utility container usually adopt make-shift solutions that involve rigging up the container under the seat and between the wheels of the chair. This solution is cumbersome, inefficient, and potentially dangerous because of the obstruction created by the container while trying to operate the wheelchair in a normal manner.
Thus, there exists a need for a simple, economical, and more practical device for mounting a fluid discharge container on the frame of a wheelchair. This invention is directed at providing a solution to these problems.